Quality Education for Every Child in Montenegro
Development of a new education reform strategy for the period 2025–2035 with the support of UNICEF and the EU
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PODGORICA, 25 March 2024—Today at the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, it was emphasized that quality education is vital for ending poverty and fostering Montenegro's development. The occasion marked the beginning of the reform initiative "Quality Education for Every Child in Montenegro", undertaken in collaboration with the ministry, UNICEF and the European Union Delegation to Montenegro.
The goal of this reform initiative is to develop and adopt a 10-year Education Reform Strategy (2025–2035) based on the findings and recommendations of a comprehensive Education Sector Analysis conducted in partnership with UNICEF.
UNICEF emphasizes that education sector reform is the most significant investment the country can make to foster Montenegro's development and that this strategy's development, implementation and monitoring should involve all stakeholders, especially teachers, students and parents.
This strategy should, among other things, secure adequate funding for: new school buildings; equipping all schools with new technologies; introducing digital technologies in a way that contributes to quality and inclusivity; integrating 21st-century skills into the curricula and teaching; continuing professional development for all teachers; increasing the number of teaching assistants and Roma mediators necessary for quality, inclusive education; free transportation to kindergartens and schools for all children who need it; increasing the number of school psychologists and their work on violence prevention.
The Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic, emphasized that the strategy would cover all levels of education and define a financial framework for its sustainable and long-term implementation.
"Our goal is for children to acquire the knowledge and skills requisite for further learning and successful completion of their education. In this regard, we will empower preschool teachers and elementary and secondary school teachers to provide support to children from vulnerable groups and their families, in order to create a stimulating school environment, prevent early school dropout, and enable children to realize their full potential," Jaksic Stojanovic said.
The Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro, Oana Cristina Popa, said that the European Union has committed a donation of one million euros to help Montenegro develop a comprehensive education strategy and pilot a series of activities that will help improve the quality and equality of education, and thus contribute to Montenegro's progress towards EU membership.
"I hope that this joint effort, led by the Ministry of Education, with the support of UNICEF, will mark the beginning of a substantial and much-needed reform of the education sector in Montenegro," Popa said.
Representatives of students, Jasmina Berisha and Balsa Kicovic, also articulated their expectations from the education reform.
We want to explore, to delve into things deeply, not just skim over 14 different subjects superficially and reduce education to test scores.
It is important to ensure tailored education that provides access to everyone, regardless of nationality, ethnic background or physical characteristics. It is necessary to provide support and resources for students living in rural areas, Roma students nationality, students with disabilities.
Through this reform initiative, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, with the support of UNICEF and the EU, will organize consultations with all relevant actors in the forthcoming period to develop a 10-year Education Reform Strategy (2025–2035) and secure adequate funding for its implementation based on the exchange of opinions of all stakeholders and scientific data on the state of the education sector.
